Hurricane Harvey

With literally 400 road segments still impacted by the flood waters of hurricane and tropical storm Harvey, the long-term effects to Texas infrastructure along the Texas coast and in the Houston area may be equally devastating. Few state leaders have publicly waded into the tricky waters of how to pay for the massive rebuilding effort of Texas’ infrastructure damaged due to Harvey. One state lawmaker hinted at tapping the state’s Rainy Day Fund, but Governor Greg Abbott quickly tamped down any talk of raiding the Rainy Day Fund before lawmakers come back into session in 2019.

Abbott told reporters Friday that Texas has adequate resources to “address the needs between now and next session.”

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina cost taxpayers $110 billion, and Harvey is expected to top that. Regardless of the final dollar amount, it’s going to be big, and it’s hard to know where the funds will come from. The state’s Rainy Day Fund sits at $10.3 billion.

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